RSPB - giving nature a home
Search
Close
Skip to content
Shop | Community
Log in | Sign up
  • About the RSPB
      About us
    • Our History
    • What we do
    • How the RSPB is run
    • RSPB Media Centre
    • RSPB job vacancies
    • At home & abroad
    • International
    • England
    • Northern Ireland
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Get in touch
    • Contact us
    • RSPB offices
    • Connect with us your way
      Our activities
    • Gardening for wildlife

      Gardening for wildlife

      See our ideas to keep you connected to nature during coronavirus

    • Connect with us your way

      Connect with us your way

      From our regular emails to your favourite social media, there’s more than one way to keep in touch with nature

    • Our History

      Our History

      Discover how a campaign against feathers in fashion sparked a global force to save nature with more than a million members

  • Our work
      Nature conservation
    • Conservation and sustainability
    • Projects
    • Landscape scale conservation
    • Centre for Conservation Science
    • Satellite tracking birds
    • RSPB News
    • RSPB News
    • 'Our work' blog
    • Policy and Insight
    • Policy and Insight: England and Westminster
    • Casework
      Featured news
    • Mindful mornings

      Mindful mornings

      If you can’t get outside, why not bring the outside in by downloading our bird song radio app?

    • How nature can help protect our homes

      How nature can help protect our homes

      Following the floods this winter, watch how one area is using nature as a natural protector.

    • Casework

      Casework

      Catch up with the RSPB’s own nature detectives on the case as they look to save some very special places.

  • Birds and wildlife
      Wildlife guides
    • Identify a bird
    • Bird A-Z
    • Other garden wildlife
    • Guide to birdwatching
    • What is the Red List for UK birds?
    • Nature's Calendar
    • Nature's Home magazine
    • About Nature's Home magazine
    • Birds and wildlife articles
    • RSPB Podcasts
    • Nature's Home blog
    • Birds and Wildlife Advice
    • How you can help birds
    • Gardening for wildlife
    • Ask an expert
    • Wildlife and the law
    • How to report crimes against wild birds
    • Bird songs
    • Which bird song is that?
    • Most popular bird guides this month
    • Bird migration

      Bird migration

      Migrating birds have travelled thousands of miles just to get here. Find out why.

    • Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird

      Who to contact if you spot an injured or baby bird

      Read more advice about what to do if you find a bird that needs help

    • In for a duck

      In for a duck

      It’s nesting season for our waterfowl too but what are the rules you need to follow for ducks, geese or swans?

  • Get Involved
      Activities
    • Big Garden Birdwatch
    • Nature on Your Doorstep
    • RSPB Competitions
    • Dolphinwatch
    • #MyClimateAction
    • Community & advice
    • Join our local groups
    • How green are you?
    • RSPB Community
    • Get involved blog
    • Volunteering & fundraising
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Help nature thrive as a corporate partner
    • Our grant funders
    • Campaigning
    • Campaigning in Scotland
    • Campaigning in Wales
    • Campaigning in England
    • Campaigning in Northern Ireland
    • The nature and climate emergency
    • Protecting wildlife sites
    • Campaign with us
    • Top activities to do
    • Nature on Your Doorstep

      Nature on Your Doorstep

      Great ideas on how your garden, or even a small backyard or balcony, can become a mini nature reserve

    • How green are you?

      How green are you?

      See some of the ways you can get into green living.

    • Campaigning

      Campaigning

  • Reserves & events
      Reserves A-Z
    • Consall Woods
    • Fore Wood
    • Haweswater
    • Langford Lowfields
    • Loch Spynie
    • Oronsay
    • Otmoor Reserve
    • Loch Druidibeg
    • Events, dates & inspiration
    • Events
    • COVID-19 information
    • Dates with nature
    • Places to visit blog
    • #ThanksToYou
    • Reserves Alerts
      Top reserves this month
    • Marshside

      Marshside

      This fantastic wetland site is located north of Southport town centre and has some of the best wildlife in the region.

    • Lytchett Fields

      Lytchett Fields

      The reserve has seen more than thirty species of wading birds.

    • Arne

      Arne

      Heathland home to more than 2565 species.

  • Fun & learning
      For teachers
    • Supporting resources
    • Wild Challenge
    • School outreach visits
    • Big Schools Birdwatch
    • Sign up for the newsletter
    • School trip ideas
    • For kids
    • Fun factoids for all the family
    • Games and activities
    • Kids stories
    • RSPB kids competitions
    • For families
    • Big Wild Sleepout
    • Wild Challenge
    • Nature reserves for families
    • Robin Robin
    • Cameron's Cottage
    • Your Support
    • About Cameron's cottage
    • Latest kids' activities
    • Wild Challenge

      Wild Challenge

      Nature is an adventure waiting to be had. Get out, get busy and get wild!

    • Fun factoids for all the family

      Fun factoids for all the family

      Find out more about the nature and wildlife outside your window.

    • Youth membership

      Youth membership

      As well as a free gift and magazines, you’ll get loads of ideas for activities to try at home.

  • Join & Donate
      Join us
    • Choose a membership
    • Family membership
    • Youth membership
    • Gift membership
    • Nature is stronger with you on its side. Become a Life Fellow today.
    • Renew your membership
    • Donate
    • Philanthropy & Major Gifts
    • Our appeals
    • Make a one-off donation
    • Make a regular donation
    • In Memory Donations
    • Plant a celebration tree
    • In Memory Booklet
    • Leave a gift to nature in your Will
    • Why Include a Gift to Nature in Your Will
    • How to Include us in Your Will
    • Information for executors & solicitors
    • Download your free guide
    • Other ways to help
    • Gift Aid
    • Support us when you shop
    • RSPB Images
    • RSPB second-hand binocular scheme
    • Win with the RSPB
    • Payroll Giving
    • Stamp out albatross deaths
  • Login to your account Sign up for an RSPB account
  • Shop
  • Community
  • Home
  • Reserves & events
  • Reserves A-Z
  • Otmoor Reserve

Otmoor Reserve

whitethroat - John Reynolds
whitethroat - John Reynolds
meadow thistle - Lyn Ebs
meadow thistle - Lyn Ebs
common lizards - Terry Sherlock
common lizards - Terry Sherlock
black hairstreak - Nick Martin
black hairstreak - Nick Martin
reedbeds - Colin Wilkinson
reedbeds - Colin Wilkinson
lapwing - Bob Edwards
lapwing - Bob Edwards
hare - Terry Sherlock
hare - Terry Sherlock
kestrel - John Reynolds
kestrel - John Reynolds
teal - John Reynolds
teal - John Reynolds
frosty Otmoor - Peter Barker
frosty Otmoor - Peter Barker
Address
RSPB Otmoor, Otmoor Lane, Beckley, Oxford, OX3 9TD
Grid ref
SP570126
What3Words
dividers.sage.bibs

Otmoor is a haven for wildlife in the heart of Oxfordshire. The visitor trail leads you alongside an expansive floodplain grazing marsh, home to wading birds and wildfowl year round. Hedgerows, bustling with warblers and songbirds, and the rustling reedbed add to the immersive experience of being on the "moor".

Plan your visit

Opening times

Car park: open, dawn-dusk.
Reserve trails: open, dawn-dusk.
Hide: open daily, dawn-dusk, Covid measures in place.

Our car park is small and visitor numbers can be high, particularly at weekends. If you are able, please try to visit the reserve during the week to avoid disappointment. 

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free
Children
Free
Free entrance for first child
Free entrance for under 5s
Student
Free
Free entrance for carers
Yes
Car park cost

£2 (from 1 July 2019). Free for RSPB members and blue badge holders

Facilities

  • Car park
  • Viewing point
  • Nature trails

Accessibility

  • Download full accessibility statement (PDF)

How to get here

By train

The nearest railway station is in the village of Islip and you can access the reserve via the Oxfordshire Way (2.1 mile walk).

By bus

Buses run infrequently between Oxford and the village of Beckley (just over a mile from the reserve). For more details see oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/oxfordshire-way.

By bike

Otmoor is connected to surrounding villages by bridleways, as well as local roads. Bike racks can be found in the reserve car park.

By road

Otmoor is off the B4027, which links the A34 and the A40. The reserve is 10 minutes from these main roads. After entering Beckley, take Otmoor Lane next to the Abingdon Arms and follow to end of the lane. The reserve postcode is OX3 9TD.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps
View on What3Words
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Information for dog owners

image1czlb.pngDogs are welcome on the public footpaths and bridleways on the reserve but must be kept under close, effective control at all times. 

imagel7ln.pngDogs are not allowed off the paths onto any of the fields, nor along the visitor trail or other permissive paths. There are 'no dogs' signs on various gates to indicate which paths they cannot use.

We know that the countryside is a dog walking paradise. It’s important to remember the special surroundings here are wonderful havens for rare wildlife. Even if dogs are very well behaved, wildlife can easily become startled by a dog they perceive as a predator.

Disturbing wildlife does more than simply causing it to move away; it uses up their energy, decreasing their chance of survival regardless of season. Thank you for protecting the special wildlife by not exercising your dog on the nature reserve.

Check before you travel

Visitor numbers can be high, particularly at weekends. If you are able, please try to visit the reserve during the week and car share where possible to avoid disappointment. The reserve can be found by following Otmoor lane to the very end where you will find our car park (OX3 9TD). Please be aware that parking is very limited. If the car park is full please do not park along Otmoor Lane, as this can block access for emergency vehicles.

Downloads

Trail map.pdf

Contact Otmoor Reserve

  • RSPB Otmoor, c/o Folly Farm, Beckley, Oxford, OX3 9UR
  • otmoor.admin@rspb.org.uk
  • 01865 351163

What will you see?

Our star species

    Standing Lapwing illustration

    Lapwing

    Lapwing breed on site in excellent numbers and can be seen scraping nests out in spring or performing their aerial display, calling ‘peewit’, as they go. More than 3000 spend the winter here as a safe place to feed up before moving back to their breeding grounds.

    Redshank, summer plumage

    Redshank

    Redshank arrive back to the moor in March, their piping call is often the first sign of their presence before you spot their red legs, which give them their name, as they move around the muddy edges of the fields in search of food.

    Snipe illustration

    Snipe

    Listen around dawn and dusk for the strange ‘drumming’ noise that the snipe makes to attract a mate. On still spring and summer days they can be seen flying to a height and then falling, producing this drumming sound as they drop.

    Marsh Harrier male in flight

    Marsh harrier

    Marsh harriers can regularly be seen hunting over the reedbed and surrounding fields. Look out in the breeding season for the food passes as a male drop’s food to the female below who then takes it feed their young to feed.

    Golden plover, summer plumage

    Golden plover

    Golden plover return to the reserve in autumn to spend the winter on site. They can be seen in their thousands, wheeling and tumbling in the sky, often evading a predator. Look at them on the ground as they moult to their striking breeding plumage in early spring before they head back to the uplands to breed.

Recent Sightings

Bittern in foliage

Recent sighting details for the reserve can be found on the Oxon bird log and Otmoor Birding.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

Look out for lapwings performing their tumbling display over the fields, redshanks probing for food in the scrapes and snipe "drumming" in the sky at dawn and dusk.

Grass snakes and common lizards bask out in the early morning sun and black and brown hairstreak butterflies can be found feeding and laying eggs along the blackthorn hedgerows.

Watch the flocks of golden plovers and lapwings as they perform aerial displays, evading a peregrine or marsh harrier.

Watch redwings and fieldfares feasting on the berries in the hedgerows and look out for barn and short-eared owls hunting over the fields.

About Otmoor Reserve

Habitat

Otmoor is made up of wet grassland, reedbed and blackthorn hedgerows. The wet grassland supports nationally significant lowland breeding waders with regularly over 100 pairs, including lapwing, redshank and snipe. The wet grassland is also home to huge numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders. Over 4000 golden plover, lapwing and wigeon, along with pintail, teal, shoveler and geese and swans call Otmoor their winter home.

In the summer, both black and brown hairstreak butterflies can be found feeding and laying eggs along the blackthorn hedges. These are managed rotationally to keep them in top condition for 2 of Oxfordshire's most important butterfly species.

The reedbed has become home to bittern and marsh harrier who have returned as breeding birds to Oxfordshire for the first in over 200 years. Other species found breeding on the reedbed include common terns, reed warblers, water rails, grey herons and Cetti’s Warblers.

Conservation

Otmoor is nearly 400ha of wet grassland, reedbed and hedgerows. Vast areas of wet grassland is fed by ditches, criss crossed with wet features and play host to vast numbers of waders. Lapwing, redshank and snipe all require slightly different nesting habitats and feeding requirements, so it is a balancing act with tractors and grazing animals, trying to produce the right conditions for these species every year.

The 22ha reedbed was all hand planted by volunteers. Every year we cut large sections to get rid of old reed and to promote new growth, not just of reed but of other species to create a real variation of vegetation. Bitterns, marsh harriers, water rail and a whole host of warblers come to the Otmoor reedbed annually to breed and raise their young.

There are over 9 miles of hedgerows on Otmoor and large sections of these are coppiced annually in winter to promote new growth that is the suitable size for brown hairstreak butterflies to lay their eggs. We aim to produce a variation in ages that creates an excellent mosaic of habitat that is suitable for a range of wildlife.

Site information

Nestled close to Oxford city, Otmoor is a haven from the hustle and bustle of modern life, where wildlife and tranquility reign. One of the largest inland wetland complexes in the country, Otmoor is home to a huge amount of wildlife, rare species and impressive wildlife spectacles.

Trails lead visitors to the heart of the reserve where wildlife is abundant, and a purpose-built hide and two viewing screens allow visitors to get close views of the nature that calls Otmoor home.

Visit Otmoor

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy

Quick links

  • Contact us
  • Online Community
  • Vacancies
  • Media centre

Information for

  • Teachers
  • Policy makers
  • Farmers & landowners
  • Scientists

Our work in

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Email

Partnering with

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International.

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership

Fundraising Regulator logo OSCR logo

© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

  • Terms & conditions
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Charter and statutes
  • About our site
  • Modern Slavery Act

Cookie Preferences

Accepting all non-essential cookies helps us to personalise your experience

Edit settings
Accept all

Essential cookies are required

These cookies are required for basic web functions

Enable analytics cookies

Allow us to collect anonymised performance data

Enable marketing cookies

Allow us to personalise your experience

Save settings
Read our cookie policy